Reforming health in the Valley

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, federal funds have been funneled into San Joaquín Valley clinics and health organizations this summer.

In fact, it’s dizzying to keep track of the different grants that Valley agencies have received recently. Starting today, I’ll try to keep a running log here of these funds.

This week, the Fresno County Department of Public Health ($499,695 per year,) Stanislaus County Health Services Agency ($293,899,) and Sierra Health Foundation ($499,229,) which serves Sacramento County, all received Community Transformation Grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Also, the Oakland-based Public Health Institute received a Community Transformation Grant of almost $6 million to implement projects in the state’s 42 smaller counties, including Madera, Merced and Tulare counties.

The awards — made possible through the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund — will allow counties and agencies to work toward reducing chronic diseases in local communities by focusing on three priority areas: Tobacco-free living, active living and healthy eating, and evidence-based quality clinical services and other preventative services.

Earlier this month, a Merced organization was one of 129 organizations nationwide, and 14 organizations in California, to receive grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to become future health centers.

Horizons Unlimited, from Merced, received an $80,000 Health Center Planning Grant Award to support community-based groups seeking to provide a more comprehensive range of primary health care services or expand their services to the larger community.

In August: A number of San Joaquín Valley community health clinics earned grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish new health delivery sites.

Of the 67 community health centers across the county that received $28.8 million through the Health Centers New Access Points grants, four were from the Valley: Family HealthCare Network in Visalia ($333,342,) Livingston Medical Group, Inc. in Livingston ($316,562,) United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley in Parlier ($817,714,) and Valley Health Team, Inc. in San Joaquín ($503,930.)

Will these funds help to reduce health disparities in the San Joaquín Valley, and improve access to medical care? We’ll have to wait and see.